Investment opportunities in low carbon technology could be as high as $ 5 trillion by 2030

Institutional investors have numerous options for capitalising on opportunities and managing risks arising from climate change

NEW YORK, US: The continued delay in climate change policy action and lack of international co ordination could cost institutional investors trillions of dollars over the coming decades, according to research by Mercer and a group of leading global investors representing around $ 2 trillion in assets under management. Also the report states that EU and China/East Asia are set to lead investment in low carbon technology and efficiency improvements over the coming decades. “Climate change brings fundamental implications for investment patterns, risks and rewards. Institutional investors should be factoring long-term considerations, such as climate change, into their strategic planning,” said Andrew Kirton, Chief Investment Officer, Mercer.

The report Climate Change Scenarios – Implications for Strategic Asset Allocation analyses the potential financial impacts of climate change on investors’ portfolios, identified through a series of four climate change scenarios playing out to 2030. The report identifies a series of pragmatic steps for institutional investors to consider in their strategic asset allocation.

In the report, a framework is outlined that can be used by institutional investors to enhance their understanding of climate-related investment risks and opportunities across asset classes and regions. Mercer’s ‘TIP Framework’ estimates the rate of investment into low carbon technologies (T), the impacts (I) on the physical environment and the implied cost of carbon resulting from global policy (P) developments across the four climate scenarios.

The launch of the report and the Mercer TIP Framework represents a collaborative endeavour led by Mercer which involved 14 global institutional investors, and was supported by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group and Carbon Trust.